Steelers RB Rico Dowdle (toe) did not practice on Wednesday, and his right foot was in a walking boot, according to The Athletic's Mike DeFabo. Dowdle is a long shot to play against the Bengals this weekend. RB Jaylen Warren (shoulder) was limited on Wednesday but should be available to serve as Pittsburgh's clear lead back against Cincinnati.
The Steelers mustered only three points against the New England Patriots in Week 2. QB Aaron Rodgers only completed 59% of his passes for 187 yards. The two starting RBs (Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle) combined to rush 18 times for 65 yards, 3.61 yards per carry. WR D.K. Metcalf had his second straight week with a dropped pass. It’s possible the offense just won’t carry much fantasy value going forward.
Steelers RB Rico Dowdle suffered a toe injury in the first half of Sunday's game vs. the Patriots. He was carted back to the locker room and is officially questionable to return. We'll update Dowdle's status when we know more.
Update: Dowdle returned for the start of the second half.
Update: Dowdle was ruled out in the second half.
The Steelers on Saturday downgraded WR Michael Pittman Jr. to out because of his foot injury. That leaves Pittsburgh without the guy who ran the second-most routes on the team in Week 1 and led squad with 58 receiving yards.
Steelers RB Jaylen Warren led the backfield with 46 yards on 10 carries, adding 5 catches for 27 yards on 6 targets. Meanwhile, Rico Dowdle contributed only 15 yards on 8 attempts, plus 6 yards on a pair of catches.
Rico Dowdle is impressing in his first training camp with the Steelers. Mark Kaboly, Steelers Correspondent for the Pat McAfee Show, writes “Even though [Jaylen] Warren is very good, Dowdle will be the unquestioned RB1 when the season starts.”
The Steelers and QB Aaron Rodgers have agreed to a one-year deal, according to multiple reports, with $22 million in guarantees and a max value of $25 million. Rodgers will now return for his second season in Pittsburgh and reunite with new HC Mike McCarthy for the first time since 2018. McCarthy served as Packers HC from 2006 -- the year after Green Bay drafted Rodgers -- until 2018, a span that included 11 seasons with Rodgers as the lead QB.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote Thursday that QB Aaron Rodgers “will likely” return to the Steelers next season. Rodgers is set to meet with the team Friday, and a new deal could follow shortly after.
The Steelers watched RB Kenneth Gainwell agree to a deal with Tampa Bay on Monday and will apparently fill his spot with Rico Dowdle. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that the former Panther has reached agreement with Pittsburgh, though details are not yet available. Joining the Steelers will meet Dowdle back up with HC Mike McCarthy, who piloted the Cowboys for the entirety of Dowdle's time there.
ESPN's David Newton doesn't expect free agent RB Rico Dowdle to return to the Panthers. "Unless Dowdle wants to return at a bargain price, he appears headed to his third team in three seasons," Newton wrote via ESPN.
Panthers RB Rico Dowdle (toe) is not listed on the final Week 18 injury report. He was held out on Wednesday but put in full practices on Thursday and Friday. The toe shouldn't be a factor in Saturday's game against the Buccaneers. Carolina leaned on the pass in the Week 16 meeting against Tampa Bay, and Dowdle finished with just 29 rushing yards on nine carries.
Panthers RB Rico Dowdle (toe) returned to a full practice on Wednesday. He'll be ready for lead duties in this weekend's game vs. the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay held Dowdle to 43 scoreless yards in their Week 16 meeting.
Panthers RB Rico Dowdle missed Tuesday's practice with a toe issue. HC Dave Canales labeled him "day to day," so it doesn't sound like this is something that will keep Dowdle from playing against the Buccaneers on Saturday. But we'll keep you updated on his status over the next few days. RB Chuba Hubbard would step into a workhorse role if Dowdle missed Week 18.
WR Tetairoa McMillan went 6-73-1 on 10 targets against the Buccaneers. Jalen Coker was the next highest WR with 5 targets. McMillan matched up against CB Jamel Dean often who had been stout against outside WRs, but McMillan was able to win multiple times one-on-one. As the Panthers march toward the NFC South crown, McMillan has proved himself to be an elite option who can be relied upon for the fantasy championship (and next season).
Before their Week 14 bye, it looked like the Carolina Panthers were shifting to a committee backfield with Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard. But in Week 15, Dowdle out-carried Hubbard 16-8 and scored a TD to reclaim his status as Carolina's lead back. Neither back had much success against the Saints, who held the duo to a combined 3.25 yards per carry as New Orleans pulled off a 20-17 upset win.
Panthers RBs Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle split touches throughout the team’s win over the Los Angeles Rams, but Hubbard outproduced Dowdle. Hubbard went 17-83-0 on the ground and 2-41-1 through the air. Dowdle went 18-58-0 on the ground and 2-21-0 through the air. Hubbard also outsnapped Dowdle 38 to 27 with Hubbard running 15 routes to Dowdle’s 6. This could make both only borderline starts moving forward despite the heavy lean on the run game.
Panthers RB Rico Dowdle went 18-53-1 on the ground and caught all three of his targets for 10 yards. He had 84% of backfield touches with Chuba Hubbard getting the other 16%. Despite the large volume, Dowdle struggled to find much running room with his worst yards per carry since Week 2 (2.9).
You have our personal money-back guarantee: If you’re not happy with our service for any reason, just reach out by December 31, 2026, and we’ll give you 100% of this purchase back. No strings attached. You can cancel with one-click from your account page anytime.
